Department for Transport

Network Rail: Incentives

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much was paid in bonuses to Network Rail executives in each financial year between 2010-11 and 2014-15.

Claire Perry: The total annual bonus payments in the period requested are set out in the following table. The totals comprise annual and long term incentive payments in each financial year. Financial yearTotal bonus paymentOne-off retention payments2010-11£283,000Zero2011-12ZeroZero2012-13£1,199,000 (Note 1)Zero2013-14£260,000£900,0002014-15ZeroZeroBy way of comparison, in 2009-10 a total of £2.352million was paid out in bonuses.   Note 1 – The majority of this bonus payment of £1.199million relates to the payment in April 2013 of the first tranche of a Long Term Incentive Plan award for the period covering the three financial years to end March 2012. The Plan was approved by Network Rail’s Members at the July 2009 Annual General Meeting.

Network Rail: Pay

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many employees of Network Rail earned more than £142,000 in each financial year between 2010-11 and 2014-15.

Claire Perry: Network Rail has provided the following figures, which are taken at each financial year end. Financial yearTotal of Network Rail employees with an annual salary above £142,000 (excluding Executive Directors)Total of Network Rail employees with an annual salary above £142,000 (including Executive Directors)2010-1126322011-1232382012-1337422013-1445502014-154750The above figures do not include Network Rail’s Chairman

Railways: South East

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to improve safety and reduce risk to passengers and the public in the Sussex area of the South East Route; and if he will make a statement.

Claire Perry: Network Rail and the train operating companies have a duty to manage the risks created by their operations and develop safety management systems to ensure effective design, planning, delivery and control.   The Office of Rail and Road, in its role as the independent railway safety regulator, undertakes inspection, monitoring and assessment activities designed to identify and minimise risks.   The regime is the same for all routes and the UK has one of the safest railways in Europe.

Railways: South East

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to improve asset resilience in the Sussex area of the South East Route; and if he will make a statement.

Claire Perry: The latest Network Rail Delivery Plan for Control Period 5 is available at http://www.networkrail.co.uk/publications/delivery-plans/control-period-5/cp5-delivery-plan/ 　Pages 129 and 130 set out asset management indicator tables for Sussex, specifically asset condition reliability and asset condition sustainability.One of the key priorities in this new Parliament is to see train performance in the South-East improve. My officials and I have been working closely with the Chief Executive of Network Rail, Mark Carne, and the management teams of both Southeastern and Southern to understand the causes of the problems and the plans to solve the issue. I have also been chairing weekly meetings with senior members of Network Rail, Southeastern and Southern to ensure progress is being made.

Railways: South East

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what funding has been allocated to line resilience projects in the Sussex area of the South East Route for each year of Control Period 5.

Claire Perry: The Office of Rail and Road oversee the efficient cost delivery of Network Rail outputs.　 Control Period 5 expenditure for Sussex is set out in Table D.30 on page 910 of their 2013 Final Determination and this can be viewed at http://orr.gov.uk/publications/reports/final-determination

Network Rail

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of Network Rail's ability to deliver major projects to time and budget; and if he will make a statement.

Claire Perry: The Secretary of State announced in his statement last week that he has commissioned the new Network Rail chair to return to him in the autumn with proposals on how the Control Period 5 enhancements programme can be re-set in a way that is both affordable and deliverable.

Railways: South East

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will place in the Library a copy of the Control Period 5 renewal and refurbishment plan for the Sussex area of the South East Route.

Claire Perry: Network Rail’s Delivery Plan for Control Period 5, taken together with the Enhancements Delivery Plan document, sets out what Network Rail will deliver over Control Period 5 (CP5), from April 2014 to March 2019. Pages 129 to 141 set out asset management indicator tables for Sussex including renewal and maintenance volumes. The latest Delivery Plan for Control Period 5 can be found at: http://www.networkrail.co.uk/publications/delivery-plans/control-period-5/cp5-delivery-plan/

Railways: South East

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the planned expenditure in the Sussex area of the South East Route is for each year of Control Period 5.

Claire Perry: The Final Determination (October 2013) of Network Rail’s outputs and funding for Control Period 5 sets out the Office of Rail and Road’s (ORR) assessment of the efficient cost to deliver the outputs that Network Rail will deliver. Table D.30 on page 910 sets out the ORR’s indicative Control Period 5 expenditure for Sussex by type of expenditure and by year. The Final Determination can be found at: http://orr.gov.uk/publications/reports/final-determination

Railways: South East

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to increase route capacity in the Sussex area of the South East Route; and if he will make a statement.

Claire Perry: Details on the outputs to be delivered in Sussex during Control Period 5 (CP5) can be found on pages 73 to 78 of Network Rail’s CP5 Enhancements Delivery Plan. Please also refer to page 43 on the Thameslink Programme outputs. The CP5 Enhancements Delivery Plan sets out the outputs, scope and milestones that Network Rail are committed to deliver in CP5 and can be found at: http://www.networkrail.co.uk/publications/delivery-plans/control-period-5/cp5-delivery-plan/One of the key priorities in this new Parliament is to see train performance in the South-East improve. My officials and I have been working closely with the Chief Executive of Network Rail, Mark Carne, and the management teams of both Southeastern and Southern to understand the causes of the problems and the plans to solve the issue. I have also been chairing weekly meetings with senior members of Network Rail, Southeastern and Southern to ensure progress is being made.

Railways: South East

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the level of punctuality for passenger rail services in the Sussex area of the South East Route operated by (a) Southern Railways, (b) First Capital Connect, (c) London Overground and (d) First Great Western was in each year from 2010-11 to 2014-15.

Claire Perry: We have the following levels of punctuality for passenger rail services in the Sussex area of the South East Route: (a) Southern Railways: Gatwick Express service group*2010-112011-122012-132013-142014-1588.7%87.5%83.5%82.7%82.4%Metro service group*2010-112011-122012-132013-142014-1590.9%91.6%90.0%86.3%82.0%Sussex Coast service group* 2010-112011-122012-132013-142014-1588.5%89.0%86.9%85.7%84.2%  (b) First Capital Connect/Govia Thameslink (from 14 September 2014) – Thameslink service group*: 2010-112011-122012-132013-142014-1588.4%89.8%88.1%86.7%82.2% (c) London Overground: Do not provide any services in the Sussex area (d) First Great Western – London & South East Service Group*: 2010-112011-122012-132013-142014-1592.1%91.2%89.6%88.6%88.8% *This is the lowest level of disaggregation we receive for this data; Sussex services are included in this figure

Home Office

Sexual Offences: West Yorkshire

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, the location of how many registered sex offenders from the West Yorkshire police area has been unknown for (a) up to one year, (b) one to five years, (c) five to 10 years and (d) over 10 years.

Mike Penning: Information on sex offenders is held by the police. The Home Office does not hold this information.

Crimes of Violence: Greater London

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of reasons for changes in the level of violent crime against the person in (a) Enfield and (b) London in the year to May 2015; and if she will make a statement.

Mike Penning: The publication of crime statistics is the responsibility of the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Latest published figures (from Crime in England and Wales, year ending December 2014) show that according to the independent Crime Survey for England and Wales violence is 23% lower than it was in 2010. This is supported by National Health Service data on hospital admissions for assault, which also indicates violence is falling.The ONS note that the recent changes in the level of violent crime recorded by the police relates to action taken by police forces, including the Metropolitan Police, to improve their compliance with the National Crime Recording Standard. This renewed focus on the accuracy of crime recording by the police is likely to have resulted in the increase in the number of offences recorded. However, we closely monitor trends in violent crime, and in the last Parliament we took action to strengthen legislation on knives to create new offences and introduce new sentences.

Riot Control Weapons: Greater London

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made a decision on the application of the Mayor of London for the use of water cannon in London.

Mike Penning: A key element of the established process for the approval of less lethal weapons, including water cannon, is an assessment by the Scientific Advisory Committee on the Medical Implications of Less-Lethal weapons. This has only recently been received. There are a number of scientific, medical, operational and ethical issues which need careful consideration before a decision will be made.

Police: Pensions

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent representations she has received on police pensions.

Mike Penning: I regularly receive representations on a variety of matters relating to police pensions. This is a broad subject with a range of interested parties.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

EU Law

Mr David Nuttall: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what information his Department holds on how many European Court of Justice cases have cited the words Ever Closer Union from the preamble to the EU Treaties and Article 1 of the Treaty on European Union in each of the last 10 years.

Mr David Lidington: Twenty three judgments, opinions or orders of the Court of Justice and the General Court have contained references to “ever closer union” since 2005.

EU Law

Mr David Nuttall: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many times the procedure provided for in Council Decision 2009/857/EC on the implementation of Article 16(4) of the Treaty on European Union has been invoked in each of the years since that Decision entered force; what the concerns of the member states that invoked the procedure were in each such case; and how those concerns were met in the final decision taken in each such case.

Mr David Lidington: The purpose of Council Decision 2009/857/EC on the implementation of Article 16(4) of the Treaty on European Union is to allow Member States that are close to but do not constitute a blocking minority to request that the Council defer adoption of a measure for a period of time to allow for further discussions with a view to resolving the concerns that they have raised. It came into effect with the introduction of the changed system of calculating a Qualified Majority on 1 November 2014. Although the Government does not keep data on this provision, to the best of our knowledge it has not been invoked.

Marine Conservation Zones

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what resources he plans to allocate to put in place a marine blue belt around the Overseas Territories to protect marine habitats in (a) 2015-16 and (b) 2016-17.

James Duddridge: Resources for the financial years 2015-16 and 2016-17 have yet to be agreed. Government officials are currently developing the framework for delivering the blue-belt of marine conservation and protection across the Overseas Territories, which will be implemented on a case by case basis, dependent on local support and environmental need.

Marine Conservation Zones

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he plans to designate a marine blue belt around the Overseas Territories to protect marine habitats.

James Duddridge: The Government committed in its 2015 manifesto to, “designate a further protected area at Ascension Island, subject to the views of the local community.” The blue-belt of marine protection is a long term strategy for the conservation and protection of dynamic and important ecosystems across the Overseas Territories. Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), which could form part of the blue-belt of marine protection, are currently being considered around Pitcairn and Ascension Islands. Further designations will be similarly considered on a case by case basis, dependent on local support and environmental need.

Egypt: Elections

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Egyptian counterpart on holding elections in that country.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The UK is committed to supporting the Egyptian people’s aspiration for a full and functioning democracy, including an independent judiciary, a vibrant civil society and a free media. We urge Egypt to hold free and fair elections in which all parties can participate, as soon as possible.I made a statement on 1 March encouraging Egypt to take the necessary steps to hold free and constitutional parliamentary elections as soon as possible and to complete the road map announced in July 2013.

Palestinians: Detainees

Carolyn Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many of the recommendations of the report published in March 2012 and funded by his Department on Palestinian children in military custody have been carried out.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: Since the publication of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office-funded independent report on Children in Military Custody in June 2012, there has been some progress on the issue of children held in military detention. This includes a pilot to use summons instead of night-time arrests, changes to standard operating procedures on methods of restraint, and steps to reduce the amount of time a child can be detained before seeing a judge.On 2 June, the Minister of State, my noble Friend, the right hon. Baroness Anelay of St Johns DBE, met the Israeli Military Advocate General and the Israeli Ambassador to London. They discussed the issue of child detention. She made clear that, while we welcome the improvements to date, we continue to push for the full implementation of the changes recommended in the report.

Israel: Palestinians

Carolyn Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to support the efforts of his French counterpart to encourage new peace talks between Israel and Palestine.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: We see merit in a balanced UN Security Council resolution at the right moment, setting out parameters for a political settlement. Any resolution must command the full support of the Security Council. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) has regular discussions with his French counterpart on the Middle East peace process. We will judge any proposal on the basis of whether it supports further progress in that process.

Gaza

Carolyn Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what his policy is on support he is giving to EU proposals to promote sea access to Gaza.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The UK supports EU efforts to develop options for easing movement and access into and out of Gaza. This includes the possibility of EU assistance in establishing a sea-link from Gaza to another international port. The UK and EU have consistently called on the Government of Israel to ease movement and access restrictions, and will continue to do so.

Israel: Housing

Carolyn Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his Israeli counterpart on the demolition of the Arab-Israeli village of Um Al Huran.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 4 June 2015 (PQ 669).

Israel: Palestinians

Carolyn Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Israeli counterparts on the prosecution of Israeli settlers for acts of violence against Palestinians.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: On 18 June our Ambassador to Tel Aviv raised the issue of settler violence with Israeli State Comptroller and again on the 21 June with the Israeli Cabinet Secretary and National Security Advisor. He raised our concerns that prosecution rates remained very low.

Israel: Weapons

Carolyn Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of whether UK-supplied weaponry and components were used by Israel in its campaign against Gaza in 2014.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The Government takes seriously any reports that UK supplied components may have been used by Israeli forces during Operation Protective Edge (OPE). At the time of OPE, the Government reviewed all extant export licences to Israel. It found that the vast majority of exports licensed for Israel were not for items that could be used by Israeli forces in operations in Gaza in response to attacks by Hamas.On 12 August 2014, the Government announced that twelve licences had been identified for components which could have been part of equipment used by the Israel Defence Forces in Gaza. In the event that significant hostilities had resumed, the Government was concerned that it would not have been able to clarify if the export licence criteria were being met. It would therefore have suspended those licences as a precautionary step.We monitored the situation closely and assessed that the resumption of hostilities when Hamas later broke the ceasefire was not significant enough to warrant a suspension.

Israel: Housing

Carolyn Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the humanitarian effect of the demolition of the villages of Umm Al Hiran and Atir in Israel.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 4 June (669).

Mohammed Morsi

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations his Department has made to the government of Egypt on the death sentence passed on the former President Mohammad Morsi.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: I issued a statement on 17 May setting out the Government's deep concern at the sentencing to death of former President Morsi and over 100 others. I also raised concerns with the Egyptian Ambassador on that day. Senior officials have discussed this case with representatives of the Egyptian government. We have been clear that the Egyptian authorities must apply the rule of law consistently in line with international standards, and protect the political and legal rights of all Egyptians as the basis for the country’s future stability. It is the long-standing policy of the Government to oppose the death penalty in all circumstances as a matter of principle. We note that there are further stages in the legal process, and will continue to follow this case closely and remain in contact with the Egyptian authorities.

Mohammed Morsi

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what sanctions his Department has considered imposing on Egypt in response to the death sentence passed on Mohammad Morsi.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: We are deeply concerned by the sentencing to death of former President Morsi and over 100 others. The UK Government has responded to these sentences in a number of ways, as given in my answer of today (PQ 4375). We have no plans to impose formal sanctions as part of this response.

Syria: Bombs

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to prevent the use of chlorine bombs in Syria.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: I am appalled by the continuing use of chlorine as a weapon. The Assad regime has repeatedly used chlorine as a weapon against civilians in Syria, in breach of international law and its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention. In Syria, there have been over 50 allegations of chlorine being used as a weapon since UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2209 was passed in March. The UK, along with international partners, remains committed to ensuring that those responsible are held to account. UNSCR 2209 was clear that any future use of chemicals as weapons would trigger Chapter VII measures under the UN Convention.The UK has worked closely with the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons which has recently deployed two Fact Finding Missions to investigate whether chemical weapons have been used on two specific occasions, but is not mandated to attribute responsibility. We await their reports.

West Bank: Bank Services

Carolyn Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what guidance he gives to banks on the legality of conducting business with illegal settlements in the West Bank.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The Government has placed advice online to raise awareness of the key security and political risks which UK businesses may face when operating abroad, including in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs).This includes guidance on Israeli settlements. We are advising British businesses to bear in mind the Government's view on the illegality of settlements under international law when considering their investments and activities in the region.When approached by businesses, we set out the UK’s clear position on Israeli settlements, and share with them our online guidance. This is voluntary guidance to British businesses on doing business in Israel and OPTs. Ultimately, it is the decision of an individual or company whether to operate in settlements in the Occupied Territories, but the Government neither encourages nor offers support to such activity.

West Bank: Housing

Carolyn Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to encourage the Israeli government to abandon plans for a new settler city in Gvaot.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The Government has repeatedly condemned settlement announcements, and we will continue to call on the Israeli authorities to cease all settlement building and to remove illegal outposts, as required under international law.On 16 June, our Ambassador in Tel Aviv, raised the issue of settlements with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and again on the 21 June with the Israeli Cabinet Secretary and National Security Advisor.

Illegal Immigrants: France

Mr David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate he has made of the number of acts of criminal damage or violence undertaken in the pas de Calais region against vehicles owned by UK companies or citizens since July 2014; and what representations he has made to French authorities on that matter.

Mr David Lidington: Policing in the Pas de Calais region is a matter for the French authorities. The UK Government therefore does not hold details on the number of acts of criminal damage or violence undertaken in the Pas de Calais region. I and my Ministerial colleagues regularly discuss matters of law and order in the region with our French counterparts. The Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Ms May), was in Paris on 2 July to meet her French counterpart, M Cazeneuve, the Interior Minister. Law and order was among the topics they discussed.

Ascension Island: Fisheries

Richard Benyon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether an environmental impact assessment has been undertaken of the proposed award of licences for industrial fishing in British waters off Ascension Island.

James Duddridge: Ascension Island Government contracted an independent consultant to review the management options for Ascension Island waters. This review examined various factors, including status of the tuna resources and bycatch. Between 2010-2013 when commercial fishing vessels operated around Ascension scientific data, including on bycatch, was collected by national observers on the vessels and is available through scientific papers presented at ICCAT.

Ascension Island: Fisheries

Richard Benyon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how fishing in British waters off Ascension Island will be policed; and what steps his Department is taking to prevent over-fishing or illegal bycatch landings in those waters.

James Duddridge: Consideration is currently being given to all options for marine management around Ascension Island. Any decision will be based on scientific justification, financial viability, effective enforcement and monitoring. The type of enforcement will depend on the management option selected. HMG funded a pilot satellite surveillance project around Ascension Island. This data is being used to inform future management and enforcement of Ascension Island’s waters.

Ascension Island: Fisheries

Richard Benyon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether surveys of fish populations have been undertaken in British waters off Ascension Island to ascertain the effects of industrial fishing.

James Duddridge: Commercial fish populations around Ascension island are highly migratory and are managed under ICCAT (The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas) for the whole Atlantic. Between 2010-2013 when commercial fishing vessels operated around Ascension scientific data, including on bycatch, was collected by national observers on the vessels and is available through scientific papers presented at ICCAT.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

Self-employed

Mr Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps are being taken to support self-employed workers in (a) Northamptonshire and (b) England.

Anna Soubry: The Prime Minister announced on 1 July that we will be carrying out an independent review of self-employment to shine a light on the contribution that self-employed people make to the UK economy and make recommendations on how they can be better supported. This will build on existing work to support all small businesses, including through the Enterprise Bill where we will target regulators’ actions as part of our commitment to cut a further £10 billion of red tape for the benefit of businesses, and establish a Small Business Conciliation Service to help resolve disputes.All businesses can get free support and advice through our Business Support Helpline and 25 local growth hubs across England. From November 2013 to November 2014, Northamptonshire growth hub figures indicate that 56% of the people they supported were self-employed.

Green Investment Bank: Scotland

Hannah Bardell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on the future of the Green Investment Bank.

Anna Soubry: There have been no such discussions. As a UK institution located in Edinburgh, I appreciate there is particular interest in Scotland in the Green Investment Bank. The Government will continue to be as informative as possible as plans for the company’s future development.

Apprentices: West Midlands

Mr Robin Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many different employers took on apprentices in (a) Worcester, (b) Worcestershire and (c) the West Midlands in each of the last five years.

Nick Boles: Data is not centrally collected for the number of employers taking on apprentices. The Department publishes details of apprenticeship starts by region and Local Education Authority (LEA) (first link) and apprenticeship participation by region (second link) and LEA (third link) online: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/438150/apprenticeships-starts-by-geography-learner-demographics-and-sector-subject-area.xlshttps://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/438154/apprenticeships-participation-by-region-and-sector-subject-area.xlshttps://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/378732/apprenticeships-participation-by-constituency-and-local-authority.xls The Department also publishes details of Workplaces Employing Apprentices by region and Parliamentary constituency; however, workplaces cannot be interpreted as different employers since employers can have apprentices at more than one workplace. This data is published online: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/416511/apprenticeships-workplaces-by-region-and-constituency.xls

Members: Correspondence

Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, when he intends to reply to the letter to him dated 14 May 2015 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Ms T Ali.

Joseph Johnson: We have no record of having received such a letter. However, having now consulted my right Hon. Friend’s office the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills will respond to the right Hon. Member shortly.

Training

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many adults he expects to be participating in non-apprenticeship vocational training by 2020.

Nick Boles: We have made no forecast of this. The majority of vocational training by adults is privately funded. The levels of vocational training funded by the State will depend on future spending reviews.

British Business Bank

Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what plans he has for private ownership of the British Business Bank; and if he will make a statement.

Anna Soubry: There are currently no plans for private ownership of the British Business Bank.

Green Investment Bank

Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to his statement on 25 June 2015, HCWS54, whether the sale of the bank into private ownership will be undertaken using priority investors.

Anna Soubry: We will explore all options for a sale. Decisions will reflect the outcome we believe maximises value for the UK taxpayer. Our expectation is that interest in acquiring a stake in the Green Investment Bank will come from sophisticated, large scale institutional investors such as pension funds and sovereign wealth funds.

Green Investment Bank

Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to his statement on 25 June 2015, HCWS54 on the Green Investment Bank, whether the bank when privately-owned will be permitted to invest in nuclear technology.

Anna Soubry: Our aim is that bringing private ownership in to UK Green Investment Bank plc (GIB) should free the company from Government control with decisions about operational and strategic matters being a matter for the company, its board and its shareholders. As we move towards introducing private investors, we will be exploring how to ensure GIB continues to invest in accordance with its green principles.

Green Investment Bank

Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to his statement on 25 June 2015, HCWS54 on the Green Investment Bank, what control the Government will retain over the (i) appointment of the Chair of the Bank and (ii) strategic direction of the bank's activities following its move into private ownership.

Anna Soubry: Our aim is that bringing private ownership in to UK Green Investment Bank plc (GIB) should free the company from Government control with decisions about operational and strategic matters being a matter for the company, its board and its shareholders. As we move towards introducing private investors, we will be exploring how to ensure GIB continues to invest in accordance with its green principles.

Green Investment Bank

Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to his statement on 25 June 2015, HCWS54 on the Green Investment Bank, what the intended timescale is for moving the bank into private ownership.

Anna Soubry: Timing of a sale is dependent on the outcome of discussions with potential investors. We are keen to make progress but would not want to commit to a particular timetable at this stage. We need the flexibility to do a deal when we are satisfied the time and the terms are right. We will only proceed once satisfied we are able to achieve best value for money for the taxpayer.

Green Investment Bank

Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to his statement on 25 June 2015, HCWS54 on the Green Investment Bank, what percentage stake in the bank he will seek to maintain following a move into private ownership.

Anna Soubry: Decisions on this will depend on the outcome of discussions with potential investors and will be driven by what best achieves value for money for the UK taxpayer. Our aim is that a majority of shares in UK Green Investment Bank plc would come to be held by private investors.

Green Investment Bank

Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to his statement on 25 June 2015, HCWS54 on the Green Investment Bank, whether existing staff and directors at the bank will be (a) gifted and (b) permitted to purchase shares in that Bank.

Anna Soubry: Our expectation is that interest in acquiring a stake in the Green Investment Bank will come from sophisticated, large scale institutional investors such as pension funds and sovereign wealth funds. Detailed matters like employee share schemes will need to be considered as part of the transaction and will depend in part on the views of investors.

Green Investment Bank

Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to his statement on 25 June 2015, HCWS54 on the Green Investment Bank, whether shares in the bank will be offered directly to the public.

Anna Soubry: Our expectation is that interest in acquiring a stake in the Green Investment Bank will come from sophisticated, large scale institutional investors such as pension funds and sovereign wealth funds. We do not currently anticipate shares in the company being offered to individuals.

Arms Trade: Saudi Arabia

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to UK Export Finance's 2014-15 Annual Report, what the defence goods for Saudi Arabia are for which Kirintec Ltd has been given £190,480 a bond support facility.

Anna Soubry: The export contract supported by UK Export Finance was for the supply of electronic protection equipment.

Green Investment Bank

Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to his statement on 25 June 2015, HCWS54 on the Green Investment Bank, what discussions he plans to have with (a) business organisations, (b) green investors and (c) environmental groups before making a final decision to move that Bank into private ownership.

Anna Soubry: I appreciate there is widespread interest in the future of UK Green Investment Bank plc. Both the Government and the company will continue to be as transparent as possible about plans for the company’s future.

Apprentices

Jo Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what his policy is on devolving power on apprenticeship policy to local authorities.

Nick Boles: Apprenticeships are a national strategic priority, essential to support our employers and to aid the growth and productivity of our economy. We delivered 2.3 million apprenticeships last parliament and are committed to 3 million apprenticeship starts over the next 5 years. We are developing a comprehensive plan for growth, including more work with large employers; more support for small businesses at a local level; a greater emphasis on the public sector leading the way on apprenticeships; and a renewed plan on communications and marketing. We are also committed to getting the apprenticeship product right, by delivering employer-led apprenticeship reform, through Trailblazers, to improve the quality of apprenticeships and to provide the skills that employers need. As part of the work being done with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) to re-shape and re-structure Further Education provision within Greater Manchester, the Apprenticeship Grant for Employers has been devolved so that Manchester can make its own determination regarding priorities. The grant provides £1,500 per apprentice for small businesses (up to 50 employees) that employ a new young apprentice aged 16 – 24.

Apprentices: Minimum Wage

Jo Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate his Department has made of the number of apprentices not paid the minimum wage since 2010; and what the (a) age, (b) gender and (c) parliamentary constituency was of each such apprentice.

Nick Boles: The Apprenticeship Pay Survey is the most detailed source of information on Apprentice pay. The 2014 survey can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/apprenticeship-pay-survey-2014. However, this survey is not conducted every year and information is not always fully comparable between years due to different methodological approaches.

Apprentices

Jo Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking to increase take-up of apprenticeships in engineering, construction and manufacturing.

Nick Boles: We have seen a 52% increase in the number of apprenticeship starts in engineering and manufacturing technologies over the last Parliament. There were around 85,000 starts in construction, and over 320,000 starts in engineering from May 2010 to April 2015. The new careers and enterprise company announced in December 2014, aims to become the leading umbrella body with an overview of activity on careers, inspiration, enterprise and employability. Independent from government, it will help schools build strong links with employers, working closely with the education and careers sectors to improve the quality and coverage of information and advice about apprenticeships. The Your Life campaign, which was launched in May 2014, is leading our efforts to raise awareness of the exciting careers that maths and science subjects can lead to. The programme works alongside targeted schemes with industry groups, such as the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Institute of Physics, to increase the opportunities for all young people, and particularly women, to pursue careers that need skills in science, technology, engineering and maths. We are committed to 3 million apprenticeship starts during this parliament. We are developing a comprehensive plan for growth. We will implement reforms that will give greater control of apprenticeships to employers to ensure that apprenticeships meet the needs of a wider range of businesses and more are attracted into the programme. Over 1200 employers are already involved in designing new apprenticeship standards and to date we have approved over 50 new apprenticeships in construction manufacturing and engineering, with more in development.

Chemicals

Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what recent discussions his Department has had with manufacturers of anti-freeze on the addition of bittering agents to reduce ingestion by animals.

Anna Soubry: There have been no recent discussions between the Department and manufacturers of anti-freeze on adding bittering agents to reduce ingestion by animals. Some animal welfare groups and individuals have called for bittering agents to be added to anti-freeze but Cats Protection (a leading cat welfare organisation) point to research carried out in the US that suggests that such additions would not necessarily make any difference. Antifreeze products are already required to carry appropriate safety warnings under classification and labelling (CLP) regulations.

Apprentices

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking to prevent employers exploiting apprentices by (a) breaking their contract in Level 2 and Level 3 courses of study, (b) treating the Level 3 study as a new contract, (c) failing to maintain pay at the basic apprenticeship national minimum wage and (d) failing to progress the apprentice's wage entitlement as a second year apprentice.

Nick Boles: Apprenticeships are jobs with quality training and as such apprentices are employees and subject to the same terms and conditions as other employees, including redundancy. Where apprentices are made redundant, the Skills Funding Agency will do everything possible to find another apprenticeship position with a new employer. Where an individual completes a Level 2 apprenticeship and goes on to Level 3 this is treated as an entirely new apprenticeship with the requirement for higher level skills attainment. In most cases this would not require a new contract of employment. Targeted steps have been taken to reduce non-compliance with the National Minimum Wage. HMRC prioritises complaints made concerning apprenticeship pay. Employers who fail to pay the National Minimum Wage will be Named and Shamed, as well as receiving financial penalties. Furthermore, Naming is not an alternative to prosecution. Where there is evidence that an offence has been committed the case will always be considered for prosecution.

Apprentices: Minimum Wage

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many second year apprentices aged 19 are earning the national minimum wage in the most recent period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Boles: Apprentices aged 19 or above and in their second year are entitled to the National Minimum Wage for their age. The Apprenticeship Pay Survey[1] is the most detailed source of information on apprentice pay. The latest survey carried out in 2014 estimated that 73% of second year[2] apprentices aged 19 or above are earning the National Minimum Wage. Anyone entitled to be paid the minimum wage should receive it. We are committed to improving compliance with the National Minimum Wage and in particular for apprentices. Employers and workers can access further guidance by contacting the Acas Helpline online at: www.acas.org.uk/helplineonline or by phone on 0300 123 1100. [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/apprenticeship-pay-survey-2014[2] Apprentices who have been undertaking an apprenticeship for one or more years.

Department for International Development

Disasters Emergencies Committee

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will take steps to (a) reduce the size of and (b) increase the number of independent members on the Board of the Disasters Emergencies Committee.

Mr Desmond Swayne: The Disasters Emergencies Committee (DEC) is an independent charity and therefore is subject to UK charity legislation, and registered with the Charity Commission. As such, the composition of their Board of Trustees is a matter for the DEC.

Sudan

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment she has made of the humanitarian situation in East Sudan.

Grant Shapps: The UK remains extremely concerned about the humanitarian situation in Eastern Sudan. The United Nations’ ‘Sudan Humanitarian Response Plan 2015’ estimates that 328,000 people are in need of humanitarian assistance in three states of East Sudan (Red Sea, Kassala and Gedaref), out of a total of 5.4 million in need across the country. The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) is supporting some 92,000 long-term refugees in the east. DFID is providing a further £38 million over the next two years for additional humanitarian assistance to Sudan, including Darfur. Delays and restrictions imposed by the Government of Sudan in the issuance of travel permits has limited our ability to conduct our own recent assessment but we continue to work closely with NGOs and International Agencies to better understand the situation. We, along with our partners (EU and US) continue to press the Government of Sudan to allow unrestricted humanitarian access but we remain deeply concerned about the situation.

South Sudan

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of sanctions on people considered to be impeding the peace process in South Sudan.

Grant Shapps: To respond to the ongoing conflict in South Sudan the UK helped to secure UN sanctions against six military commanders that impeded the peace process. As these sanctions were adopted on 1 July 2015 it is too early to assess their effectiveness.

Department for Education

Department for Education: Mott MacDonald

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 4 June 2015 to Question 356, what the (a) purpose and (b) cost was of each contract let to Mott MacDonald since 2012.

Nick Gibb: The Department for Education has entered contracts with Mott MacDonald since 2012 as shown in the attached table. Mott MacDonald has been drawn down off Government frameworks and/or competed against other providers for each piece of work. They were chosen when their proposal met the Department’s requirements and offered the best value for money for the taxpayer.



DfE_Contracts_Mott_MacDonald
(Word Document, 44 KB)

Pupil Premium: Sunderland

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the pupil premium funding of the Pupil Premium was for secondary local authority schools in Sunderland in each of the last five years.

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much pupil premium funding has been allocated to primary local authority schools in Sunderland in each of the last five years.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The Pupil Premium was introduced in April 2011. The available information is shown in the attached table.   Data which split the pupil premium into the primary and secondary phases of education is available only for the deprivation element of the premium. This is paid to schools for pupils who are eligible for free school meals (currently or in the previous six years). Information on deprivation pupil premium by primary and secondary year groups was first published in 2013/14.   



Sunderland_Pupil_Premium
(Excel SpreadSheet, 42 KB)

Pupil Premium

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many primary and secondary students in (a) Sunderland and (b) England have been funded by the pupil premium in each of the last five years.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The Pupil Premium was introduced in April 2011. Information on the number of pupils funded by year is not available but the attached tables show the amounts of funding allocated.   Data which split the pupil premium into the primary and secondary phases of education is only available for the deprivation element of the premium. This is paid to schools for the number of pupils who are eligible for free school meals (currently or in the previous six years). Information on deprivation pupil premium by primary and secondary year groups was first published in 2013/14.  



Sunderland_Pupil_Premium_1
(Excel SpreadSheet, 55.5 KB)

Ministry of Justice

Prisoners: Clothing

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 15 June 2015 to Question 1334, what the cost was of the research on prisoners' clothing and their self-esteem; and for what reasons the study was not sufficiently large to meet the quality assurance process required by the National Offender Management Service for publication.

Andrew Selous: The study did not incur any cost as it was undertaken as part of the standard duties of an in-house trainee psychologist. The sample size was sufficient for the academic aims of the study; the statistical analysis was not adequately robust, however, for national publication.

Prerogative of Mercy

Mr Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the pardon granted to Alan Turing for his conviction under the Criminal Law Amendment Act 1885, what his policy is on granting pardons posthumously to people convicted under (a) the Witchcraft Acts 1563 and 1603, (b) the Blasphemy Act 1604 and (c) other legislation that has been repealed.

Mike Penning: Your question has been referred to the Ministry of Justice who have policy responsibility to this area. Any application for a pardon under the Royal Prerogative of Mercy will be considered on its merits. A pardon is normally only granted if new evidence comes to light which demonstrates conclusively that the individual is innocent. While Dr Turing’s pardon did not meet these requirements, we believe it was appropriate to take this exceptional step to recognise the unique abilities and achievements of a very great man.

Prime Minister

Prime Minister: Public Appointments

Mr David Anderson: To ask the Prime Minister, if he will publish a list of all of his appointed (a) political, (b) trade and (c) other envoys; and if he will make a statement.

Mr David Cameron: A list will be published in due course.

Ministry of Defence

Army: Sexual Harassment

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will place in the Library the results of the sexual harassment survey by the Army between March and April 2014; and if he will make a statement.

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he shared his review into bullying, discrimination and harassment in the Army with the Service Complaints Commissioner; and if he will make a statement.

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will place in the Library a copy of the 2014 review into bullying, discrimination and harassment in the Army; and if he will make a statement.

Penny Mordaunt: The Chief of the General Staff has made maximising talent a priority and will be launching a change programme which aims to ensure that talent is able to thrive, regardless of ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation. There are a number of pieces of work supporting this programme including the completion of a sexual harassment survey and the establishment of a team to conduct a study into bullying, harassment and discrimination within the Army. This study is under way and is due to report in the summer. The Army will be discussing the results and the way ahead with the Service Complaints Commissioner.The Department is currently considering the sexual harassment survey results. I will write to the hon. Member with more information in due course.

Armed Forces: Firearms

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) handguns, (b) rifles and (c) automatic weapons have been (i) lost and (ii) stolen in operations overseas in each of the last two years.

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 23 June 2015 to Question 2466, on armed forces: firearms how many of those firearms have been recovered.

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 23 June 2015 to Question 2466, on armed forces: firearms how many of those weapons were (a) handguns, (b) rifles and (c) automatic weapons.

Mr Philip Dunne: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) takes the security of firearms and ammunition very seriously and has robust procedures to deter and prevent loss and theft. Given the dynamic nature of military training, exercises, and operations it is impossible to mitigate against all risk. Nevertheless, all losses and thefts of firearms and ammunition are fully and rigorously investigated, in partnership, as necessary, with civilian police forces. The numbers lost and stolen over the past two years are shown below. These represent a tiny fraction of around 360,000 firearms that the MOD owns and operates. In drafting the answer to these questions, it has become apparent that the answer to Question 2466 was incorrect, overstating the losses and thefts in the UK. The information has been corrected in this answer. YearStatusUKOperations Overseas2013 Lost/Accounted forStolenLost on Combat OpsStolenRecovered1 x 40mm Grenade Gun-1 x SA80 Rifle1 x 9mm Sig Sauer Pistol1 x SA80 RifleLost at sea1 x SA80 Rifle1 x 9mm Sig Sauer Pistol1 x MP5 Pistol-  Not Recovered2 x SA80 Rifle2 x Electronic Range Rifles1 x Deactivated 9mm Tokarev pistol1 x SA80 Rifle 1 x M4 Rifle Total82312014Recovered 1 x SA80 Rifle---Lost at Sea1 x SA80 Rifle1 x 9mm Sig Sauer Pistol---Not recovered1 x Weapon Sight2 x DeactivatedAK47 Rifle1 x Replica Machine Gun-- Total4300

Department for Work and Pensions

Work Capability Assessment: Learning Disability

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to tackle delays in carrying out work capability assessments for people with a learning disability.

Priti Patel: Centre for Health and Disability Assessments (CHDA), the provider responsible for carrying out Work Capability Assessments, are recruiting more healthcare professionals with detailed knowledge of specific health conditions such as learning difficulties. This will allow people to be assessed more quickly and reduce waiting times. In addition, CHDA are focussed on enhancing the customer experience through the establishment of a Customer Representative Group that comprises of over twenty national disability organisations including those representing people with learning difficulties.

Social Security Benefits: Disability

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Prime Minister's Oral Answer of 24 June 2015, Official Report, columns 885-86 and to the Answer of 22 June 2015 to Question 2955, (a) for what reason his Department changed its policy on publishing statistics on the deaths of disability claimants, (b) when those statistics will be published, (c) how much those statistics will cost to produce, (d) for what reason those statistics could previously only be provided at disproportionate cost, (e) when his Department began collecting those statistics and (f) for what reason it began collecting those statistics.

Priti Patel: The answers to your questions are as follows:(a) The decision to publish out-of-work benefits mortality statistics has not changed.(b) The publication date will be pre-announced here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/list-of-scheduled-upcoming-ad-hoc-statistical-releases(c) A cost estimate is unavailable.(d) It was not possible to answer the original question within cost limits.(e) and (f) I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on the 22 June 2015 to Question UIN 2905

Children: Poverty

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many children were in (a) relative and (b) absolute poverty  in (i) England, (ii) London, (iii) Enfield and (iv) Enfield North constituency in the last five years.

Priti Patel: Estimates of the number and proportion of children in relative and absolute low-income are published in the National Statistics Households Below Average Income (HBAI) series. Due to small sample sizes figures for Enfield and Enfield North constituency are not available as robust estimates cannot be produced for local level geographies. However, HBAI does provide 3-year average estimates of the number and proportion of children in relative and absolute low-income for both England and London. Analysis by region is presented as three-year averages as single-year estimates are considered too volatile. Figures are presented in financial year estimates and are available up to 2013/14. The latest publication is available at the link below: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/households-below-average-income-19941995-to-20132014

Housing Benefit

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in work were claiming housing benefit in May (a) 2010 and (b) 2015 in (i) England, (ii) London, (iii) Enfield and (iv) Enfield North constituency.

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people aged between 18 and 21 in the London Borough of Enfield were in receipt of housing benefit in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12, (c) 2012-13, (d) 2013-14 and (e) 2014-15.

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in (a) Enfield North constituency, (b) Enfield and (c) London are affected by the under-occupancy penalty.

Justin Tomlinson: Housing Benefit claims data, including details of claims from people aged between 18 and 21 and the numbers affected by the removal of the spare room subsidy is published and can be found at:https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.ukGuidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started---SuperWEB2.html Please note the data relating to the removal of the spare room policy only shows the impact for those who remain entitled to Housing Benefit. The effect upon those who are no longer entitled to Housing Benefit is not available.

Personal Independence Payment: Birmingham

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when his Department plans to invite disability living allowance claimants in Birmingham to apply for personal independence payments.

Justin Tomlinson: We have been inviting some existing DLA claimants to make claims for Personal Independence Payments (PIP) in the Birmingham area since October 2013 as part of natural reassessment. We are preparing detailed plans for later phases of full PIP rollout, ensuring Assessment Provider capacity is in place before claimant selection is made. Postcodes to be included in the continued rollout are not fully confirmed at this stage. The announcement regarding full PIP rollout can be found in my written statement, Official Report 25 June 2015, column. 33WS to 34WS.

Social Security Benefits

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will estimate how many people who are not subject to the work-search requirements as set out in the Welfare Reform Act 2012 have been affected by the benefit cap since April 2013.

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will estimate how many jobseeker's allowance claimants who fulfil all the work-search requirements as set out in the Welfare Reform Act 2012 and have never been subject to sanctions have been affected by the benefit cap since April 2013.

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of households which include a claimant who is in receipt of (a) employment support allowance, (b) incapacity benefit and (c) severe disablement allowance that have been affected by the benefit cap since April 2013.

Justin Tomlinson: Official statistics on the composition of benefits claimed by households subject to the benefit cap are not available. A suite of evaluation was published on 15 December 2014. This evaluation made estimates of the proportion of capped households in scope for the cap who were in receipt of Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), Income Support (IS), Employment Support Allowance (ESA) or other benefit types over time. The evaluation uses a different methodology to the Official Statistics and does not provide a cumulative count of numbers which is in line with Official Statistics. In July 2014 (the most recent data used in the evaluation), estimates found 23 per cent of capped claimants were in receipt of ESA; 45 per cent of capped claimants were in receipt of IS; and 9 per cent were in receipt of another benefit type.Further information can be found at:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/benefit-cap-evaluationhttps://www.gov.uk/government/publications/benefit-cap-review-of-the-first-year

Social Security Benefits

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will assess the amount spent by local authorities on providing advice and assistance, including temporary accommodation to families who have presented as homeless, following the introduction of the benefit cap in April 2013.

Justin Tomlinson: The information requested is not available. We published analysis on end of year returns for Discretionary Housing Payments on 25 June 2015, further information can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/use-of-discretionary-housing-payments-financial-year-201415

Social Security Benefits

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of households in each region of England, Wales and Scotland affected by the benefit cap since April 2013 have been tenants of (a) local authorities, (b) housing associations and (c) private sector landlords.

Justin Tomlinson: Information on the number and proportion of capped households by region and housing type by sector and tenure can be found on Stat-Xplore, the Department’s online interactive tabulation tool, which can be accessed here: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/

Social Security Benefits

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to lower the benefit cap to £23,000 per year.

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he plans to bring forward proposals to limit the benefit cap to £23,000 per year through (a) primary legislation, (b) secondary legislation and (c) other methods.

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 15 June 21015 to Question 1695, whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to lower the benefit cap before his Department's impact assessment is published.

Justin Tomlinson: Details of the policy and impact assessment will be announced in due course.

Social Security Benefits

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of households which include a claimant who is classed as disabled under the Equality Act 2010 have been affected by the benefit cap since April 2013.

Justin Tomlinson: Statistics on the disability status of claimants subject to the benefit cap are not available. All households with someone, including a child, with a current award of Disability Living Allowance, Personal Independence Payment, Attendance Allowance, or receiving the Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity (LCWRA) component of Universal Credit, or receiving Armed Forces Independence Payments (AFIP), or receiving the support component of Employment and Support Allowance, or receiving Industrial Injuries Benefits (and those receiving War Disablement Pension, and the equivalent payments from the Armed Forces Compensation Payments Scheme) are exempt from the benefit cap.

Social Security Benefits

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of households living in (a) local authority, (b) housing association and (c) privately rented housing who have been affected by the benefit cap have been evicted from their homes since April 2013.

Justin Tomlinson: The information requested is not available. A suite of evaluation was published on 15 December 2014. Further information can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/benefit-cap-evaluation https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/benefit-cap-review-of-the-first-year

Social Security Benefits

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of households affected by the benefit cap since April 2013 have been subject to that cap while living in temporary accommodation in which they have been placed by a local authority.

Justin Tomlinson: Data on the number of households placed by their local authority in temporary accommodation who have been subject to the benefit cap is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Social Security Benefits

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will instruct the Social Security Advisory Committee to undertake an independent review of (a) the operation of the benefit cap since April 2013 and (b) proposals to lower the benefit cap to £23,000 per year.

Justin Tomlinson: A suite of evaluation was published on 15 December 2014. Further information can be found at:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/benefit-cap-evaluationhttps://www.gov.uk/government/publications/benefit-cap-review-of-the-first-year Details of the new policy will be announced in due course.

Social Security Benefits

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of households which include a claimant from an ethnic minority background that have been affected by the benefit cap since April 2013.

Justin Tomlinson: Official statistics on the ethnicity of claimants in households subject to the benefit cap are not available.

Social Security Benefits

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to his Department's press release of 14 May 2015, Benefit cap: thousands move into work or off housing benefit, how many of the 22,400 households who have moved into work since being made subject to the benefit cap are now in (a) full-time and (b) part-time work.

Justin Tomlinson: Data on the number of households who have moved from the benefit cap into work by working pattern is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Housing Benefit

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to his Department's press release of 14 May 2015, Benefit cap: thousands move into work or off housing benefit, how many of the 35,600 households that are no longer subject to the benefit cap are still in receipt of housing benefit.

Justin Tomlinson: Data on the number of households no longer subject to the benefit cap who are still in receipt of Housing Benefit is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Children: Day Care

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the (a) availability and (b) cost of childcare to households subject to the benefit cap which consist of a single parent with dependent children.

Justin Tomlinson: The information requested is not available.

Social Security Benefits

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to his Department's statistical release entitled Benefit cap: number of households capped to February 2015, published on 14 May 2015, what information his Department holds on the reasons why 23,100 households are subject to the cap.

Justin Tomlinson: The number of households subject to the benefit cap as at February 2015 reflect those households claiming benefits above the cap threshold for their household type and for whom an exemption does not apply. Published official statistics show the make-up of these households in terms of household type, capped amount and by number of children together with the reasons for why households are no longer capped. These statistics are available from: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/benefit-cap-statistics

Employment and Support Allowance

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many employment and support allowance claimants have had low mood cited as the principal condition for incapability to work.

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his Department's definition is of low mood.

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the most appropriate benefit for people with low mood.

Priti Patel: The Department does not categorise claimants using the term, “low mood”. Therefore the requested data is not available. Employment and Support Allowance is not based on a person’s health condition, but on the way that the condition limits their ability to function. The Work Capability Assessment, which determines eligibility for the benefit, assesses claimants against a number of descriptors covering physical, mental, cognitive and intellectual functions.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Bovine Tuberculosis: South West

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will publish in full all monitoring data collected in each year of the badger culls in Gloucestershire and Somerset.

George Eustice: In April 2014 and December 2014 respectively, the Government published monitoring data for the badger culls in 2013 and 2014 in Gloucester and Somerset. The Government plans to publish monitoring data for culling in subsequent years.

Bovine Tuberculosis: South West

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she plans to take to ensure that she receives independent scientific advice on safety, effectiveness and humaneness for each year of the badger cull pilots in Gloucestershire and Somerset.

George Eustice: The Independent Expert Panel provided advice on the safety, effectiveness and humaneness of controlled shooting of free-ranging badgers, during the pilot phase which took place during a six-week period in 2013. We have since moved from piloting to implementation.   Natural England will continue to monitor this year’s culls. Monitoring will include compliance checks, and observing accuracy of shooting by new contractors. Effectiveness and progress in each cull area will continue to be monitored closely during the culls, and the police will continue to be closely involved to ensure shooting is carried out safely.

Birds: Trapping

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will take steps to improve public awareness of Larsen traps.

Rory Stewart: Natural England’s Wildlife Management and Licensing team provides advice to those who wish to manage wildlife in England.   It is for individuals to decide on which wildlife management methods to use in order to address a particular issue. Government has no plans to raise public awareness of particular types of traps.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Green Belt

Oliver Dowden: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps the Government is taking to protect the green belt; and if he will make a statement.

Brandon Lewis: National planning policy gives strong protection to the Green Belt, making clear that most development is inappropriate, and that Green Belt should be altered only in exceptional circumstances, through the Local Plan process, and in consultation with the local community. Local planning authorities are responsible for managing Green Belt in line with national policy set out in the National Planning Policy Framework. Local planning authorities must have due regard to national policies – including Green Belt - in planning to meet housing and other needs which indicate that development should be restricted.

Solar Power

Caroline Nokes: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to his statement of 22 June 2015, Official Report, columns 617-9, whether local people will have the final say on planning applications for solar farms.

James Wharton: National planning guidance for renewable energy underlines that the views of local communities likely to be affected should be listened to and states that it is important that their planning concerns are properly heard in matters that directly affect them. Local councils working with their communities are able to set out in their Local Plan where developments for renewable energy such as solar farms should and should not take place.

Housing: Construction

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much local authorities received in (a) England, (b) Lancashire and (c) Pendle constituency under the New Homes Bonus in each year since 2011.

Brandon Lewis: The total amount that local authorities received in (a) England, (b) Lancashire County Council and (c) Pendle (payment made on the basis of Pendle Borough Council boundaries) under the New Homes Bonus in each year since 2011 is set out in the attached table . This includes payment of the Bonus for previous delivery.



New Homes Bonus Table
(Word Document, 21.98 KB)

Local Government: Constituencies

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether as part of a city region devolution existing local authority boundaries can be varied where a case is made for doing so.

Mr Mark Francois: We are ready to have conversations with any area about their proposals for devolving powers and for the strong and accountable governance to support such powers, including governance proposals involving changes to local authority boundaries.

Local Government: Constituencies

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether the Local Government Boundary Commission can initiate a boundary review of a local authority in response to public representations without direct instruction from the Secretary of State or a request from the local authority in question.

Mr Marcus Jones: The independent Local Government Boundary Commission for England may undertake a principal area boundary review at the request of a local council or the Secretary of State, or on their own initiative.

Mayors

Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what his policy is on the structure of the relationship between metro mayors and local authorities.

Mr Mark Francois: I refer the rt. hon. Member to the speech given by my rt. hon. friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer in Manchester on 14 May, where he explained that when we transfer major powers to cities these must come with new city wide elected mayors who work with local councils.

Social Rented Housing: Lewisham

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many households are on the social housing waiting list in the London Borough of Lewisham; and how many of those households require a (a) one, (b) two and (c) three bedroom property.

Brandon Lewis: The number of bedrooms required by households on local authority waiting list are published in the Department’s data set ‘Local authority housing statistics data returns’, table C, which is available at the following link.https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/local-authority-housing-statistics-data-returns-for-2013-to-2014

Rural Areas

Richard Benyon: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to the report, Give peace a chance, by the Campaign to Protect Rural England, published in May 2015, if he will make it his policy to (a) agree a definition of and (b) produce detailed planning guidance on tranquility.

James Wharton: The National Planning Policy Framework is clear that local planning policies should aim to identify areas of tranquillity which have remained relatively undisturbed by noise and are prized for their recreational and amenity value for this reason. Planning guidance supporting the Framework sets out factors that are likely to be relevant to identifying areas of tranquillity.

Housing: Construction

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the housing completion rates were in (a) England, (b) London, (c) Enfield and (d) Enfield North constituency in each of the last five years.

Brandon Lewis: Statistics on new house building completions in England, London and in each London borough, including Enfield, are published in the Department's live tables 253 (annual) and 253a (quarterly), which are available at the following link: http://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-house-building These figures exclude other sources of housing supply such as conversions.These statistics are not available by parliamentary constituency.

Social Rented Housing: Enfield

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many households are on the social housing waiting list in the London Borough of Enfield; and how many of those households require a (a) one bedroom, (b) two bedroom and (c) three bedroom property.

Brandon Lewis: The number of bedrooms required by households on local authority waiting list are published in the Department’s data set ‘Local authority housing statistics data returns’, table C, which is available at the following link.https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/local-authority-housing-statistics-data-returns-for-2013-to-2014

HM Treasury

Economic Situation: Greece

David Simpson: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the potential implications for the UK economy are of Greece leaving the EU.

Mr David Gauke: As the Chancellor has said, we should not underestimate the impact that a Greek exit from the euro area would have on the European economy – or the knock-on effects on the UK. But the economic plan we’ve pursued in Britain these last five years has increased our resilience – and we will take whatever further steps are needed to protect the UK from new risks to our economic security.

Department for Energy and Climate Change

Climate Change

Patrick Grady: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if she will make it her policy to respond to the messages contained in Pope Francis's Encyclical Laudato Si, On Care for Our Common Home.

Andrea Leadsom: The recent “Speak Up for the Love of” climate lobby in Westminster – along with interventions from the Pope and other faith leaders on climate change shows that all sectors of society recognise that climate change is a serious threat.The Papal Encyclical raises a number of important issues, including – the reduction of global poverty, the protection of the planet, and a process of sustainable development which will lead to a healthier life for all.The UK is already acting to address these challenges. Our commitment to the 0.7% target for our international aid budget is a concrete sign of the UK’s solid support for sustainable development for all.The UK Government also recognises the importance of tackling climate change. We were the first country to put in place a legally binding long-term target, and we have established five year carbon budgets for reducing emissions into the late 2020s.Internationally we are leading the charge. The EU is on track to meet its commitments for 2020 and has agreed an ambitious emissions reduction target of at least 40% by 2030. We are also committed to securing a global deal on climate change at COP 21 in Paris.

Energy Supply

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what arrangements are in place to determine long-term planning for the UK's energy mix; and what organisation is responsible for ensuring security of supply.

Andrea Leadsom: Holding answer received on 30 June 2015



The Electricity Act (1989) and Gas Act (1986) place obligations on the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change and the Gas and Electricity Market’s Authority to secure long-term viable supplies and to secure that all reasonable demands for electricity are met. DECC therefore has primary responsibility for the long-term energy mix as part of its strategic planning process. The EMR Delivery Plan provides details of vision of the future UK energy mix.

Climate Change

Nick Thomas-Symonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment her Department has made of the potential effect on sea levels of a two-degree increase in global temperatures.

Andrea Leadsom: Holding answer received on 02 July 2015



Sea level will rise in response to the expansion of the warming oceans and from melting land ice. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s 5th Assessment Report notes that for a climate change scenario consistent with remaining below 2°C, global mean sea level rise is likely to be between 0.26 to 0.55 m for the period 2081–2100, compared to 1986–2005. The top of this range could be higher should the marine-based ice sheets in Antarctica collapse, increasing by up to several tenths of a metre. Sea level rise will continue beyond the 21st century in this scenario even though global temperatures stabilise, with at least a further 0.5 m expected by 2500.The future contribution from ice sheets remains very uncertain. There is a risk their melting could result in considerable sea level rise in the longer term.The UK government is funding research into future sea level rise and its impacts through the DECC and Defra co-funded Met Office Hadley Centre Climate Programme, and through the DECC funded AVOID programme.

Energy: Meters

Mr David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what comparative assessment she has made of the costs and benefits of the use of smart meters for metering (a) gas and (b) electricity consumption.

Andrea Leadsom: Holding answer received on 02 July 2015



There is a very positive economic case for a combined gas and electricity smart meter roll-out in Great Britain. The latest Impact Assessment estimates a net benefit of £6.2 billion over the period to 2030.Mains gas is prevalent in GB, serving around 80% of premises and supplying most cooking and space heating energy requirements.The case for including gas meters in the GB smart rollout is compelling. If smart meters were installed for electricity only, energy suppliers would still incur the cost of visiting premises for installations, and they would have to run two systems in parallel – a smart one for electricity, a traditional one for gas. This would involve amongst other things retaining meter reading teams for gas. In addition, consumers would not have access to the information to realise the substantial energy savings related to gas use and heating. Overall, this would reduce the Programme’s Net Present Value significantly.

Sustainable Development

Ms Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what policy outcomes the Government is seeking on the mitigation of climate change and promotion of low carbon development from the Sustainable Development Goals summit in September 2015 and the UNFCC's summit in November 2015; and if she will make a statement.

Andrea Leadsom: Holding answer received on 02 July 2015



2015 is an important year for international decision-making.The Government recognises the important linkages between sustainability, climate change and development, since eradicating extreme poverty goes hand-in-hand with addressing climate change and sustainability.The UK supports visible integration of climate and environment across the post-2015 framework; and significant targets in key areas, such as food, energy and water. The framework should complement and support, but not duplicate, international climate negotiations already underway.Securing an ambitious global climate deal at the UNFCCC conference of the Parties in Paris is a priority. We are working to secure an agreement that; secures a set of country targets that together keep the global 2°C goal within reach, includes a regular review of targets and a Long Term Goal and a set of rules that ensures transparency and accountability of commitments and allows the world to track progress.

Nuclear Power Stations: Japan

Ms Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what recent reports she has received on progress of repairs to the nuclear plant in Fukushima, Japan.

Andrea Leadsom: Holding answer received on 02 July 2015



My rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State has not received any reports on the progress of repairs to the nuclear plant in Fukushima. However, DECC is aware that reports on progress from the IAEA and the Nuclear Damage Compensation and Decommissioning Facilitation Corporation are available online.

Renewable Energy

Ms Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what recent meetings she has had with the Head of Microsoft International on renewable energy and technologies; and if she will make a statement.

Andrea Leadsom: Holding answer received on 02 July 2015



My rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State has had no such meetings. All ministerial meetings with external organisations are published on a quarterly basis on the www.gov.uk website at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications?departments%5B%5D=department-of-energy-climate-change&publication_type=transparency-data.

Energy: Meters

Mr David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, when her Department plans to publish the Major Projects Authority's assessment of the smart meters programme.

Andrea Leadsom: Holding answer received on 02 July 2015



The Major Projects Authority (MPA) publishes annual reports and specific project performance data is published by departments at the same time. The MPA published its annual report on 25 June 2015:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/major-projects-authority-annual-report-2015.In support of the MPA's report, DECC has published data on its projects on the Government Major Projects Portfolio, including the smart meters implementation programme. It is available from the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/decc-government-major-projects-portfolio-data-2015.

Energy: Meters

Mr David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment she has made of the effect of the capital costs of the smart meters programme on households' electricity and gas bills in each decile in the household income distribution range.

Andrea Leadsom: Holding answer received on 02 July 2015



The assessment of bill impacts on households is carried out to capture all costs that arise from the roll-out of smart meters and includes capital as well as operational expenditure. DECC has not carried out any assessments of household bills that consider the impacts of capital costs alone, but considers the overall impact of its policies on household bills in the annual report “Estimated Impacts of energy and climate change policies on energy prices and bills”.Evidence from the Energy Demand Research Project (EDRP) trials, published in 2011, has shown that with regards to benefits households in areas with a higher propensity for fuel poverty can benefit at least as much as other households in terms of the percentage energy savings they can realise.Furthermore, all households over time stand to gain from the efficiency savings to the energy industry which the smart meter system is expected to generate, regardless of further bill savings from reducing their consumption.

Renewables Obligation

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, pursuant to the Answer of 25 June 2015 to Question 3452, if she will estimate the potential additional cost of the Renewables Obligation to the (a) Levy Control Framework and (b) average domestic energy bill if the Renewables Obligation was not closed early to new-build onshore wind.

Andrea Leadsom: Holding answer received on 02 July 2015



The Government has a responsibility to manage support schemes efficiently within the Levy Control Framework (LFC) to ensure that costs to consumers remain affordable.Unless we close the renewables obligation (RO) to new onshore wind projects, we could end up with more deployment of this technology than we can afford. This would lead either to higher energy bills or to other renewable technologies losing out on support. It is not possible to put a precise figure on this but those onshore wind projects unlikely now to go ahead could have cost hundreds of millions of pounds in subsidy over their lifetime.

Nuclear Power

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether she has taken steps to approve new forms of nuclear (a) build, (b) power plants and (c) technology to facilitate new nuclear build in the UK; and if she will make a statement.

Andrea Leadsom: Holding answer received on 02 July 2015



The Government sees new nuclear power stations as an important part of the low-carbon energy mix which we need to secure our energy supplies and meet our international obligations to reduce carbon emissions. We will continue to ensure through Electricity Market Reform, the planning system for major infrastructure projects and independent regulation of reactor technologies that we encourage companies to bring forward successful applications to build new nuclear power stations.The Government also maintains an interest in future and emerging technologies. In particular, following a feasibility study on Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), we are undertaking a deeper financial and technical analysis to establish a robust evidence base to inform policy decisions.

Cabinet Office

Electoral Register: National Insurance

Catherine West: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department is taking to link National Insurance numbering systems with voter registration to improve registration levels.

John Penrose: Under Individual Electoral Registration (IER) applicants provide two personal identifiers including a national insurance number which are checked against Government records to help verify the person is who they say they are. As part of the transition to IER in 2014, 87% of the existing electorate was automatically re-registered under the new system after being data matched against Government and local authority data. Data matching continues to be integral to IER, in verifying new applications, but also locally in identifying and verifying applications from eligible electors. We will keep under review the scope for data to further improve voter registration.

Constituencies

Catherine West: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent progress has been made on the next boundary review of parliamentary constituencies.

John Penrose: The UK Boundary Commissions, which are independent of Government, are due to commence their next boundary review next year. They must submit their final reports to the Government by 1 October 2018.

Department of Health

Livestock: Antibiotics

Mr David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to address the effect of the overuse of antibiotics in farms animals.

Jane Ellison: Tackling the inappropriate use of antibiotics in both humans and animals is a key part of the UK Five Year Antimicrobial Resistance Strategy 2013-18, which was developed by the Department of Health jointly with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD).   Oversight of the implementation of the UK Strategy is the responsibility of the High Level Steering Group which is chaired by a senior Department of Health official and includes representatives from both Defra and VMD. The Steering Group produced an annual report and implementation plan in December 2014. This plan includes steps to reduce antibiotic usage in livestock production in real terms over the next four years. The document is available at:   https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/progress-report-on-the-uk-five-year-amr-strategy-2014

Cardiovascular System

Richard Benyon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans his Department has to include aortic stenosis in future cardiovascular strategies.

Richard Benyon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans his Department has to ensure earlier referral of heart valve patients from secondary to tertiary care; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Ellison: NHS England has no plans to publish a future cardiovascular disease strategy at this time.   Improvements in detection and management of valve disease will be achieved by encouraging practitioners and providers to follow clinical guidelines and by commissioning means. Surgery and transcatheter aortic valve replacement are commissioned by NHS England through specialised commissioning but investigations, initial diagnosis and medical management are commissioned by clinical commissioning groups.

Heart Diseases

Richard Benyon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans his Department has to task NICE with publication of guidelines for heart valve disease.

George Freeman: From April 2013, NHS England is the lead commissioner for clinical guidelines for topics which have a principal focus on healthcare.   The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published a clinical guideline on chronic heart failure in 2010 that includes recommendations on the management of chronic heart failure caused by valve disease. Further information is available on NICE’s website at:   www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg108   NICE has reviewed the need to update this clinical guideline and concluded in January 2015 that an update will be scheduled into its work programme. Details of the update will be available on NICE’s guidelines in development webpage in due course.

Health Professions: Recruitment

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to recruit young people with the requisite skills to become NHS doctors and nurses.

Ben Gummer: Health Education England (HEE) was established to deliver a better healthcare workforce for England and is accountable for ensuring a secure workforce supply for the future. It ensures that the workforce has the right skills, behaviours and training, and is available in the right numbers, to support the delivery of excellent healthcare and drive improvements.   HEE is committed to creating a supportive learning environment that gives student doctors and nurses the confidence, skills and values to complete their studies and commence their careers as compassionate and competent practitioners.   Published in October 2014, HEE’s Values Based Recruitment Framework was designed with the purpose of ensuring we attract and recruit students, trainees and employees on the basis that their individual values and behaviours align with the values of the NHS Constitution. This should take place as part of existing recruitment processes which assess aptitude, commitment and skills. A copy is attached. 



Value Based Recruitment Framework 2014
(PDF Document, 3.71 MB)

Incontinence

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many continence advisors were employed in the NHS in each year since 2005; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Gummer: Information on the number of continence advisors employed in the National Health Service is not collected by the Department.

Prescription Drugs: Waste Disposal

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the annual cost of destroyed unused prescribed medication; and if he will make a statement.

George Freeman: Information is not held centrally on the annual cost or amount of unused or unnecessary medicines in the National Health Service.   The Department commissioned the York Health Economics Consortium and the School of Pharmacy at the University of London to carry out research to determine the scale, causes and costs of waste medicines in England. The report, Evaluation of the Scale, Causes and Costs of Waste Medicines, was published in November 2010 and is available at:   http://eprints.pharmacy.ac.uk/2605/1/Evaluation_of_NHS_Medicines_Waste__web_publication_version.pdf   This found that the gross cost of unused prescription medicines in primary and community care in the NHS in England in 2009 was estimated to be £300 million a year and that up to £150 million of this was avoidable.   A number of initiatives, led by NHS England, are currently underway to optimise the use of medicines in the NHS and better empower patients.

Accident and Emergency Departments: Genito-urinary Medicine

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the number of attendances at A&E because of (a) urinary tract infections, (b) catheter-related infections and (c) stoma care issues in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Ellison: This information is not collected.   While the Hospital Episode Statistics accident and emergency (A&E) data set does contain information about the diagnosis of patients attending A&E, it is not possible to identify the conditions requested as the diagnosis system in place is not detailed enough to classify these conditions.   Table 14 in the Health and Social Care Information Centre’s (HSCIC’s) annual publication demonstrates the diagnosis groupings published. Data for 2013/14 can be found at:   http://www.hscic.gov.uk/catalogue/PUB16728/acci-emer-atte-eng-2013-14-data.xlsx

Health Education

Mr Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the publication, Public Health England Marketing Strategy 2014 to 2017, what discussions he has had with Public Health England on whether its plan to develop marketing campaigns to drive earlier diagnosis based on the Be Clear on Cancer campaign model will include a focus on raising awareness of cervical screening across the UK.

Mr Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the publication, Public Health England Marketing Strategy 2014 to 2017, what discussions he has had with Public Health England on its trial for improving screening uptake; and whether improving cervical screening uptake will form part of that trial.

Jane Ellison: Public Health England’s (PHE) priority is to continue to raise public awareness of the signs and symptoms of cancer in England through the Be Clear on Cancer campaigns and to encourage people with those symptoms to see their general practitioner promptly. PHE is looking to understand and address inequalities in screening participation. A national workshop will be set up in the autumn to explore and share current knowledge and devise an action plan. The United Kingdom National Screening Committee (UK NSC) has also commissioned an evidence review on inequalities.   The Advisory Committee on Cervical Cancer will be reviewing the results from the Strategies to increase cervical screening uptake at first invitation (STRATEGIC) trial, an on-going trial to identify and implement key innovations to help engage uptake in young women who are entering the NHS Cervical Screening Programme at the age of 25. Further work will investigate the offer of self-sampling to non-attendees of all ages in the NHS Cervical Screening Programme.   In April 2012 the UK NSC gave its support for a pilot to assess the value of using human papilloma virus (HPV) testing as primary screening for cervical disease, rather than the currently used cytology test. The pilot is establishing the feasibility of using HPV as the primary screen for cervical disease in order to achieve better outcomes for women, while minimising over-treatment and anxiety, and whether it is practical to roll out nationally. The UK NSC will open a public consultation shortly on whether HPV as primary screening for cervical disease should replace the currently used cytology test.

Human Fertilisation and Embryology (Mitochondrial Donation) Regulations 2015

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 18 June 2015 to Question 1960, what representations his Department has received from (a) other developed countries, (b) UN bodies, (c) EU institutions, (d) international health bodies and (e) international ethics bodies on the Human Fertilisation and Embryology (Mitochondrial Donation) Regulations 2015.

Jane Ellison: We have received no such representations.

Family Planning

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 4 June 2015 to Question 216, whether it is his policy that services provided by the Family Planning Association constitute sufficient social, medical and practical support for women experiencing unplanned pregnancies in the UK; and what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of social, medical and practical support for women experiencing unplanned pregnancies in England and Wales.

Jane Ellison: Local sexual health services and those that commission these services are best placed to assess the effectiveness of information and support available in their area.

Abortion

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 18 June 2015 to Question 2148, whether it is his policy that a registered medical practitioner may form a good faith opinion for the purposes of section 1(1)(a) of the Abortion Act 1967 after having signed the statutory form HSA1.

Jane Ellison: Our policy is that providers follow the guidance published in May 2014.

Abortion

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average cost is to the NHS of an (a) medical and (b) surgical abortion when commissioned for delivery by the British Pregnancy Advisory Service.

Jane Ellison: This information is not held centrally.

Family Planning: Lobbying

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what measures are in place to prevent public funds paid to (a) the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, (b) Marie Stopes International, (c) the Family Planning Association and (d) Brook Charity from being used to support lobbying activities; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Ellison: Prior to the 2015-16 financial year, the Family Planning Association (FPA) and Brook have received grant funding from the Department. All funding applications from voluntary sector organisations are assessed against a number of criteria, but Departmental policy clearly states that grants will not be awarded if there is any indication within the application that some or all of any funding awarded will be used to support political activities, including political lobbying activity. Up to April 2015, the Department had a contract with the FPA for a sexual health information service; this work has been extended for one year and is being managed by Public Health England. FPA’s contract excluded all lobbying activities. The British Pregnancy Advisory Service and Marie Stopes International receive no funding from the Department.

Abortion

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether it is his policy not to record the NHS number for every termination of pregnancy contracted out by the NHS; and if he will make a statement.

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will take steps to require every termination of pregnancy provider routinely to record a patient's NHS number.

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many and what proportion of terminations of pregnancy commissioned for delivery in the private sector had NHS numbers missing from the patient's electronic record in each of the last five years for which data is available.

Jane Ellison: Recording of NHS number on the HSA4 abortion notification form is not a statutory requirement.

Social Services: Older People

Jo Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress his Department has made in supporting local authorities to map and identify older residents at particular risk of loneliness.

Alistair Burt: Through the Care Act 2014, the Department has required local authorities to have measures in place to identify people in their area who would benefit from universal services to help reduce, delay or prevent needs for care and support. This includes needs that may arise from social isolation.   The Secretary of State for Health set out in his speech to the Local Government Association on 1 July that we all have a responsibility at an individual, family, and community level to identify people with care needs such as loneliness and provide support and improve their wellbeing.   The Department has supported a ‘digital toolkit’ for local commissioners, which was developed by the Campaign to End Loneliness. Since its launch in July 2012, the toolkit has been supporting commissioners in understanding, mapping and commissioning for loneliness and social isolation in their communities.   Alongside work to build our understanding of the issue and expanding the evidence base, we have launched the Prevention Library where local authorities can exchange ideas and experience of the impact of information, advice and befriending services.

Drugs

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that recommendations by NICE on the availability of new drug treatments are fully implemented by NHS England.

George Freeman: National Health Service commissioners, including NHS England for its directly commissioned services, are legally required to fund drugs and treatments recommended in National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) technology appraisal guidance, normally within three months of the publication of NICE’s guidance.

Hepatitis: Drugs

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what representations he has received from NICE on the timely implementation of its recommendations on the availability of new drugs for the treatment of Hepatitis C.

George Freeman: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published final technology appraisal guidance in February 2015 recommending the hepatitis C drugs sofosbuvir (Sovaldi) and simeprevir (Olysio) for patients meeting specified clinical criteria. The Department has received no subsequent representations from NICE about the implementation of its guidance on these treatments.

Drugs

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what role is played by NHS England in deciding on the cost-effectiveness of new drug treatments.

George Freeman: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body that advises the National Health Service on the clinical and cost effectiveness of selected new drugs and treatments.   In the absence of guidance from NICE, or where negative guidance has been issued, it is for commissioners, including NHS England in respect of its directly commissioned services, to make funding decisions based on the available evidence.

Out of Area Treatment: Wales

Mr David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many patients with a postal address in Wales have used hospital services in (a) Countess of Chester, (b) Arrowe Park, Wirral, (c) Clatterbridge, Wirral, (d) The Christie, Manchester, (e) Agnes Hunt, Gobowen and (f) Liverpool Children's Hospital in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Jane Ellison: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is shown in the table below.   Counts of accident and emergency (A&E) attendances1, admitted patient finished admission episodes2 and outpatient attendances3 for patients with an Area Team of residence4 of Wales by the selected hospital providers5, 2013-14 Activity in English NHS Hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector  Hospital providerA&E attendancesFinished admission episodesOutpatient attendancesAlder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust1552,9426,703Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust14,40414,18566,514The Christie NHS Foundation Trust-2853,167The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust-4,52040,577Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust3303831,282 Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Health and Social Care Information Centre Notes:1 Official Source of A&E activity dataHES is not the official source of total A&E activity, this is the NHS England situation reports collection - http://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ae-waiting-times-and-activity/However, HES permits further analysis of A&E activity as there are a range of data items by which HES can be analysed.2 Finished admission episodesA finished admission episode (FAE) is the first period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. FAEs are counted against the year or month in which the admission episode finishes. Admissions do not represent the number of patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the period.3 Outpatient AttendancesAttendances at outpatient clinics. Includes first and follow-up attendances and telephone consultations, excludes did not attends (DNAs) and cancellations.4 Area team of residenceThe area team containing the patient’s normal home address. This does not necessarily reflect where the patient was treated as they may have travelled to another area for treatment.5 Hospital ProviderA provider code is a unique code that identifies an organisation acting as a health care provider (eg NHS trust or primary care trust). Data from some independent sector providers, where the onus for arrangement of dataflows is on the commissioner, may be missing. Care must be taken when using this data as the counts may be lower than true figures.

Transplant Surgery: Intensive Care

Jason McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of the number of intensive care unit beds in the UK on the number of transplants that per capita the NHS can provide.

Jason McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many intensive care unit beds there are per capita in the UK.

Jane Ellison: NHS Blood and Transplant launched a new United Kingdom-wide organ donation and transplantation strategy in July 2013. Taking Organ Transplantation to 2020 sets out the action necessary to increase organ donation and transplant rates building on the significant increase in donor and transplant rates since 2008. It is vital that all potential donors are identified and referred to the specialist donation team. The strategy recognises that commissioners should keep the demand for intensive care beds under review to ensure that intensive care capacity is not a barrier to donation.   There were 10.6 adult critical care, paediatric intensive care and neonatal intensive care beds per 100,000 population in England in May 2015. The numbers of such beds in the rest of the United Kingdom is a matter for the devolved administrations.

Statins

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how his Department evaluates the effectiveness of statins used in the NHS.

George Freeman: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the national body responsible for issuing best practice guidance for the National Health Service in England. NICE has published a clinical guideline on lipid modification: cardiovascular risk assessment and the modification of blood lipids for the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease, which makes recommendations on the effective use of statins. This is available at:   www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg181

Neuromuscular Disorders: Birmingham

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will require Birmingham Children's Hospital and Birmingham Heartlands Hospital Trusts to fund jointly a paediatric neuromuscular consultant.

George Freeman: NHS England is responsible for commissioning specialised services, including neuromuscular services.   In July 2013, NHS England published Neurosciences: Specialised Neurology (Adult) and a number of separate paediatric neurology services specifications. These describe the services commissioned by NHS England for patients with neuromuscular disorders. It is for providers to decide how to shape services to meet the specifications, taking into account the needs of their local populations.

Alzheimer's Disease

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make it his policy to maintain current levels of financial support for the assistance of Alzheimers patients.

Jane Ellison: This year the Better Care Fund will provide £5.3 billion of investment in better integrated care.   On 21 February 2015, The Prime Minister’s Challenge on Dementia 2020 was published, building on the achievements of the Prime Minister’s challenge on dementia 2012-2015.   The Government is clear that dementia remains a priority and will implement the 2020 Challenge in full to make sure that dementia care, support, awareness and research are transformed by 2020.   Spending commitments will be set out in the budget and the spending review and the 2020 Challenge sets out our ambitions for further improving care and support for dementia over the next five years.

Organs: Donors

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to increase awareness of organ donation.

Jane Ellison: We are supporting a number of initiatives to raise awareness and to encourage more people to consent to organ donation.   NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) launched a new United Kingdom–wide organ donation and transplantation strategy in July 2013. Taking Organ Transplantation to 2020 was developed by NHSBT and the four UK Health Departments. The strategy sets the agenda for increasing organ donation and transplantation rates to world class standards over the next few years. An aim to change behaviour and attitudes towards organ donation is a feature of this strategy.   In 2014 NHSBT ran a successful campaign during National Transplant week entitled ‘Spell it out’. This encouraged people to tell their friends and family once they have signed up to the NHS Organ Donation Register (ODR). Last year’s campaign achieved higher levels of social media engagement than ever before, and media coverage reached 82% of adults. This year National Transplant Week takes place on 7 – 13 September.   The Department also supports a number of initiatives to raise awareness in Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities to become donors. Less than 5% of deceased organ donors are BAME, yet patients from BAME communities represent around a quarter of people waiting for a transplant.   NHSBT also works collaboratively with a number of partners in the private, public and third sectors to promote organ donation, such as Boots Advantage Card. People can also add their name to the ODR via Government owned channels such as applying for a driving licence and paying car tax online.

General Practitioners: Waiting Lists

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of people in England and Wales are waiting for a week or more for an appointment with a GP; and what steps he is taking to decrease the length of such waits.

Alistair Burt: The data on waiting times to see a general practitioner (GP) in England is not held centrally. The waiting times to see a GP in Wales is a matter for the Welsh Assembly.   The Prime Minister’s Access Fund has so far invested £175 million (including £25 million from the £1 billion Infrastructure Fund) in 57 schemes in England covering over 2,500 practices. This means that a third of the country (over 18 million patients) will have benefitted from improved access and transformational change at local level by March 2016. These schemes include longer opening times, such as evenings and weekends, but also different ways of accessing services, such as online and by telephone.

Cervical Cancer: Screening

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to increase the access of cervical cancer screenings to women under the age of 25.

Jane Ellison: The NHS Cervical Screening Programme provides all women between the ages of 25 to 64 the opportunity to be screened routinely to detect any cervical abnormalities at an early stage. The aim of the programme is to reduce the number of invasive cervical cancers by treating these abnormalities before they can lead to cancer. In 2012 the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) recommended that the age of first invitation for cervical screening should be age 25 on the basis that there is evidence of a large number of women screened and treated with relatively little benefit below this age. Cervical cancer in women under the age of 25 is very rare with just 2.6 cases per 100,000 women. Younger women often undergo natural and harmless changes in the cervix that screening would identify as cervical abnormalities, and in most cases these abnormalities resolve themselves without any need for treatment. The UK NSC recommendation concurred with a major review by the Advisory Committee on Cervical Screening in 2009.   Guidance for primary care on the management of young women who present with gynecological symptoms was developed and published in March 2010, Clinical practice guidelines for the assessment of young women aged 20-24 with abnormal vaginal bleeding. The guidance was produced by a multi-disciplinary group, including professionals, patients and the voluntary sector.

Local Government: Health Services

Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the potential effects of the proposed devolution of health care functions to Metro Mayors and Combined Authorities.

Alistair Burt: Empowering local areas and communities to have more influence over the delivery of health and care services is a key part of the Government’s ambitions for locally integrated systems of care that lead to improved health and care outcomes, better experience and more efficient use of local resource.   The provisions in the Cities and Local Government Devolution Bill will be exercised through the implementation of bespoke devolution deals, agreed with individual areas and reflecting each area’s proposals and ambitions for devolution. Whatever devolved arrangements are entered into Government is clear that existing accountabilities and national standards for NHS services will still apply in a manner that is consistent and comparable to the rest of the NHS, as set out in the Memorandum of Understanding between Greater Manchester partners and NHS England for example.

Medical Treatments: Finance

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the criteria are by which NHS area teams assess Individual Funding Request (IFR) applications; whether there is a maximum threshold for the price of a medicine for which an IFR can be submitted; and whether different criteria are applied according to price.

George Freeman: NHS England has advised that individual funding requests are considered by its area teams in line with the Interim Standard Operating Procedures for the Management of Individual Funding Requests, which is available at:   www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/cp-04.pdf   The conditions and criteria which are used for decision making are set out in the interim Commissioning Policy for Individual Funding Requests which is available at:   www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/cp-03.pdf

Familial Hypercholesterolemia: Drugs

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when NHS England will issue a commissioning position on the use of Lomitapide for the treatment of Homozygous Familial Hypercholesterolemia; and if he will make a statement.

George Freeman: NHS England is reviewing a number of interventions that will be considered for commissioning from April 2016. Lomitapide for homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia is one of those interventions being considered.   Services for patients with homozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia have become NHS England’s direct commissioning responsibility since 1 April 2015.

Health Services

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, on what date NHS England plans to publish decisions made by its Specialised Commissioning Committee on the draft clinical commissioning policies for (a) Duodopa for advanced Parkinson's disease and (b) other specialised services that are currently under consideration.

George Freeman: Funding decisions on new treatments for rare diseases will be made at NHS England's Specialised Commissioning Committee which is taking place on 30 June.   The outcome of all funding decisions will be published on NHS England’s website, and the subject of a press release, as soon after the Specialised Commissioning Committee meeting as is practically possible.

Dentistry: Recruitment

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of NHS dentists.

Alistair Burt: There is currently no shortage or anticipated shortage of National Health Service dentists partly due to previous successful recruitment drives and changes in the make-up of the dental workforce.

Duodopa

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress NHS England has made in its review of the draft clinical commissioning policy for Duodopa; and how the views of clinicians and those affected by Parkinson's disease have been taken into account during that review.

George Freeman: On 24 March 2015, NHS England launched a 30 day public consultation on a proposed number of new products for specialised services, including a clinical commissioning policy for co-careldopa intestinal gel (Duodopa).   There has already been extensive engagement on these national specifications and policies, as they have been developed with the support and input of lead clinicians and patient and public representatives. This approach has helped ensure that the views of key stakeholders have informed and influenced the development of the policies and specifications so far.   The consultation was open to anyone who wished to respond. Further information about the consultation, together with a copy of the draft policy, can be found on NHS England’s website and accessed via the following link:   https://www.engage.england.nhs.uk/consultation/specialised-services-consultation

Women and Equalities

Employment Tribunals Service: Sex Discrimination

Margaret Ferrier: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps she is taking to address the reduction in the number of sex discrimination cases brought before employment tribunals.

Caroline Dinenage: On 11 June, we announced the start of the post-implementation review of the introduction of fees in the Employment Tribunals. The review will consider how successful the change has been in achieving its original objectives and seek to assess the impact fees have had.